Business Expert

Experienced, ethical and fully credentialed.

Lea Strickland, MBA/CMA/CFM/CBM/GMC, is President/CEO of F.O.C.U.S. Resources in Cary, N.C., and founder of the Technovation Entrepreneur program, helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into businesses by effectively commercializing scientific discoveries.

Lea is an internationally renowned business strategy expert applying proven infrastructure management solutions to help businesses and organizations of all sizes build a baseline for success. She has more than 20 years of experience in operational leadership in Fortune 500 and Global 100 companies, including Ford, Solectron and Newell Corporation, regularly sharing her extensive first-hand knowledge via interactive sessions and keynote presentations at a wide range of industry events. In an average year, Lea leads 40 workshops and webinars in 30 states, Canada, and Mexico on business strategy topics and is one of the most prolific women entrepreneurs on the business speaking circuit.

“As the founder and CEO of a new fledgling business, and as an experienced ‘SBIR Veteran’ (from the technical side), I was surprised at the amount of my misunderstanding and lack of in-depth knowledge concerning federal grants and contracts. Lea Strickland alerted us to common mistakes, and guided us to better administrative processes and wiser business decisions.” – Larry Dickinson, PhD President/CEO, 3F, LLC

She has written over 600 articles and op-ed pieces on topics related to effectively starting and growing a business and is the author of four books including “Out of the Cubicle and Into Business” and “One Great Idea!” in addition to serving as a contributing columnist to high-profile national media publications TheStreet.com and FOX Business.

Lea has been featured as a thought leader on innovation and entrepreneurial issues for national and regional media outlets such as “Capital Insider” on WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., Triangle Business Journal, and magazines like Entrepreneur, Small Business Technology, Business Leader, TechJournal South, and the American Management Association’s MWorld Magazine.

Since forming F.O.C.U.S.™ Resources in 2002, Lea has led over 400 domestic and international clients down the path to success via building an effective operational infrastructure. Her work highlights include obtaining funding from Deutsche Bank for a North Carolina technology growth company, saving over $30 million for a manufacturing operation, and obtaining $97 million in funding for the expansion of that same facility.

Lea holds an MBA in Accounting, Marketing and Human Resources from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Business Management from The University of Charleston (W.V.), with certifications in Management Accounting, Financial Management, Business Management and Grants Management. She is a member of the Institutes of Management Accountants, The Association of Professionals in Business Management, the Small Business Technology Council, and many other local, regional, national and international organizations.

To contact Lea, email her at lea@leastrickland.com. Hire Lea, or see her event calendar.